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Alger Underwater Diving Preserve
Underwater visibility in the Alger Preserve is considered to be among the best in the Midwest. Mooring buoys and descent lines at all primary dive sites, wrecks in safe diving depths, and an emergency evacuation plan all contribute to making the Alger Preserve a safe place to dive. In 1988, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources declared the Alger area at Munising an underwater preserve and enacted laws protecting what is left of the shipwrecks and other underwater natural resources. It is against the law to remove any artifact from the preserve. For both beginners and advanced divers, the Murray Bay wreck is popular. The 145-foot schooner rests in 30 feet (9 m) of water. An underwater interpretive trail on this shipwreck shows divers important features of the shipwreck and unusual fish and other aquatic life. The latest "addition" to the preserve is the Steven M. Selvick, a 71-foot tugboat. The Selvick is the first vessel to be intentionally sunk within the Michigan underwater preserve system as a dive site. Depths to: 100 feet (30 m) Visibility: 30 feet (9 m) Water temperature: Except for shallow bays and beaches, the water temperature in Lake Superior seldom reaches 55 degrees Fahrenheit (13 degrees Celsius) even during the hottest summer weather. Aquatic life: Rock bass and other game fish. Fees: None On-site amenities: All the amenities you'll need are available in Munising, Michigan. More info: Alger
County Chamber of Commerce at (906) 387-2138 and Open: Year-round Getting there: From Interstate 75 in Michigan's upper peninsula, drive west on Michigan Highway 28 to Munising, which borders Lake Superior.
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The
Alger Underwater Diving Preserve at Munising was the first preserve
established in Michigan, and is one of the most popular diving areas in the
Great Lakes. The 113-square-mile (294-sq-km) preserve offers several unusual
diving attractions including sea caves, shipwrecks, and underwater
interpretive trails. The sea caves are portions of underwater sandstone
cliffs where sandstone has been eroded by waves. Although the caves are
shallow, usually only about 20 feet (6 m) deep, they offer attractive
diving. The preserve is on the south shore of Lake Superior near Munising in
the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This area of Lake Superior's shoreline
includes the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and offers many scenic
attractions to divers. Major dive sites are buoyed throughout the season.
